which we had for another occasion. The quarter from whence these knives
were obtained, will appear in a subsequent part of the narrative. It was
amusing to see the purposes to which they applied the different articles
given to them; some of the men danced about with a large cod-fish hook
dangling from the nose, others stuck an awl through the same part, and
the women immediately decorated their dresses with the ear-rings,
thimbles, or whatever trinkets they received. There was in the party a
great proportion of elderly persons, who appeared in excellent health,
and were very active. The men were stout and robust, and taller than
Augustus, or than those seen on the east coast by Captain Parry. Their
cheek-bones were less projecting than the representations given of the
Esquimaux on the eastern coast, but they had the small eye, and broad
nose, which ever distinguish that people. Except the young persons, the
whole party were afflicted with sore eyes, arising from exposure to the
glare of ice and snow, and two of the old men were nearly blind. They
wore the hair on the upper lip and chin; the latter, as well as that on
their head, being permitted to grow long, though in some cases a
circular spot on the crown of the head was cut bare, like the tonsure of
the Roman catholic clergy. Every man had pieces of bone or shells thrust
through the septum of his nose; and holes were pierced on each side of
the under lip, in which were placed circular pieces of ivory, with a
large blue bead in the centre, similar to those represented in the
drawings of the natives on the N.W. coast of America, in Kotzebue's
Voyage. These ornaments were so much valued, that they declined selling
them; and when not rich enough to procure beads or ivory, stones and
pieces of bone were substituted. These perforations are made at the age
of puberty; and one of the party, who appeared to be about fourteen
years old, was pointed out, with delight, by his parents, as having to
undergo the operation in the following year. He was a good-looking boy,
and we could not fancy his countenance would be much improved by the
insertion of the bones or stones, which have the effect of depressing
the under lip, and keeping the mouth open.

Their dress consisted of a jacket of rein-deer skin, with a skirt behind
and before, and a small hood; breeches of the same material, and boots
of seal-skin. Their weapons for the chase were bows and arrows, very
neatly made; the latte